Hillsboro recorder., 1887-10-06
VOLUNTEER WINS.
THE AMERICAN YACHT RUNS
AWAY FROM THE SCOTCHMAM

AWAYFROM THE SCOTCHMAN
An Immense Crowd In New York Harbor
Sees the Cnnny Scot Easily Defeated
BY Gen. Paine's Racer.
.at &}# @ ----~---- I@t6555
The Scotch cutter Thistle and the
American sloop Volunteer have met In
the first 1887 contest for Americas cup,
in New York harbor, and the Volunteer
beat the foreigner so badly, that the lat
ter's most enthusiastic champions have
only to say that something unexpIainable
is the matter with the Thistle. The peo-
pie, who went down on 8, 900 steamships,
river steamers, tugs, steam yachts, sailing
yachts and boats improyised for the occa-
sion, numbered easily $4,000, and the
scene presented by the mass OF craft be-
fore, at, and after the start, cannot be de-
scribed. They covered vast area and
they kept mp noise throughout the race,
that startled the people who came from
Europe TO witness the contest. Incessant
gun firing and steam whistling called
forth the widest kind of enthusiasm,
wrich intcrfered with the duties OF Off
cials Of the race. The great fiotilla COW
cred the ground off O'Neal's Head in
way that made it doubtful If decent
start could be made, while the elements
indicated "no race. From early morn.
ing, there was no sign of a breeze, and
dirty haze hung over the water, indica-
tive of continuously thick atmosphere,
and poor view of the race.
With favorable Surroundings, the race
would have been started at 1880 a. m,
but at that hour there was not airenough
to blow match out, and the judges, on
Commodore Gerry's Electra, waited b,
start the racers until there should appear
chance of getting the boats over the
course within the prescribed seven hours.
AT 1920, the Electra fred the prepar-
atory gun, and at 1880 the gun to start.
After the latter, the yachts had five min
utes to cross the line. II either had
taken longer than five minutes, her time
Of start would have been registered at
the expiration Of the five minutes.
The boats crossed as follows: Thistle,
f2.3306; Volunteer, 12.34.5S. The
Thistle not only had the nearer position,
when the order to start was given, but
she also went through the water faster.
So she got over the line I minute SO sec
onds ahead. An eight-miles-an-hou
wind was then from the south-southeast,
and the yachts had to sail close on the
wind for the first mark, buoy 10, on
southwest, the ship which bore south by
west was three and half miles away.
The yachts went over port tack and at
once the Volunteer began to overhaul
the Thistle. The first tack was in to-
ward Clifton, Staten Island, and on that
tack Of fifteen minutes or less, the Vol.
unteer showed her superiority over the
Thistle in weather that had been written
down as the foreigners best, that left no
doubt Of the result. The Volunteer went
by the Thistle as though the latter was
anchored, and she stayed in front to the
end. The Thistle was more than little
bothered by the excursion boats on that
first tack. Steamers crossed her bows,
and gave her much swash, but after that
the steamers hung to the Volunteer. the
leader, and throughout the rest of the
day she suffered three times, at least, as
much as the Thistle did, from the way
they kicked up the water and shut oil
the wind. II was no longer race. Il
was procession. The wind varied in
locality and strength. Il shifted between
the sCjtheast and southwest, and some.
times one boat had IL when the other did
not. And the result was most decisive
victory for the American sloop. Beat.
ing, stretching and running, with free
sheets, the Volunteer outsailed the This.
tie.
After the race, James Bell, principal
owner Of the Thistle, said he was not at
all satisfied with the result. The Thistle,
he declared, had never moved so slowly
through the water. He was Of the opin-
ion that there was something wrong
with the cutters bottom, - and she would
be hauled out Of the water al once
with view toward finding out what Il
was. lie did not consider that the race
had been sailed for that reason and be.
cause the wind was so shifting. The
Volunteer often had the advantage OF
breeze that the Thistle did not feel. Be.
sides, excursion boats swashed the This
tic, toa damaging extent. Gen. Paine
and Edward Burgess, Of the Volunteer
took the victory quietly, but very hap
PLY.
The London News says: 'Tt Is not 10
be concealed or denied, that the result Of
the racc u q bitter disappointment. We
had been led 20 expect great things OF
the Thistle, and the Americans themselves
encouraged us in our expectations. Our
disappointment Is all the more greater
because, though neither boat had the
right wind for thoroughly good race,
light breeze prevailed that was supposed
TO be in favor Of The Thistle. The This.
tie lost 10 the wind OF her own choosing.
We may build q better boat some day
and VIC have rcyer built such an one
bcfore.n